Many people who can greatly benefit from chiropractic care often fail to receive it simply because they aren’t sure of how to pay for it. Fortunately, if you have Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance, most or all of your chiropractic treatments will be covered by your policy. Blue Cross and many other health insurance companies recognize chiropractic services as providing natural and effective therapies for alleviating discomfort.
As the benefits of chiropractic care are increasingly recognized, health insurers are finding that it’s often cheaper to cover these services than to pay for other conventional medical treatments. After all, in instances where conventional medicine addresses illnesses by simply minimizing or muting symptoms, chiropractic doctors address musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction directly at its sources. As a result, healing times are often shorter, and symptoms and their causes are less likely to recur.
There are, however, several important things that you should do before scheduling a visit if you intend to use your Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plan to cover your treatment. To start, it’s always important to understand the terms and limitations of your policy. You can carefully read through your insurance documents to get the answers you need, or you can call your insurer directly.
Next, you’ll need to look for a chiropractic office that accepts this coverage type. Most chiropractors accept health insurance, and many will list the accepted plans right on their professional websites. Finally, if required by your insurer, you may need to get a referral from your regular physician. To do so, simply schedule an appointment with your doctor and state your desire to receive chiropractic treatment. If other treatments or therapies are already in place, this will additionally give your physician the opportunity to coordinate your recovery plan with your chiropractor.
Different Ways to Cover the Costs of Chiropractic Services
When using your Blue Cross Blue Shield cover for chiropractic, certain limitations may apply. For instance, the typical plan will cover:
- One set of diagnostic images per calendar year
- 12 manipulative treatments or fewer
- A specified number of office visits depending upon the details of the plan
If your treatment exceeds these or other limitations that exist, the remainder of your care may need to be paid for out-of-pocket. For instance, if you want to take advantage of inversion therapy, massage, ultrasound therapy, or computer-assisted adjustments, you’ll need to ask your insurance company about the availability of coverage for these things. More often than not, co-payments and prescription frees for chiropractic care are classified as out-of-pocket expenses.
In many instances, chiropractic care is needed as the direct result of a physical accident or impact event. For instance, you may need to consult with a chiropractor after being involved in a car crash, a slip and fall accident, or after suffering a work-related injury. In cases such as these, services may be covered by the settlements awarded as the result of any related personal injury, premises liability, or work injury claims. Working with an attorney is one way to ensure that the fees for chiropractic care are reflected in your injury settlement. When another party is responsible for your physical injury, your health insurance company may assist to this end as well. There are even times when chiropractors will work with injury victims with the understanding that all fees for service will be recovered once settlements have been awarded.
When paying out of pocket, you can use cash, a debit card, a credit card, or any other payment medium that a chiropractic clinic accepts. More importantly, you can work with your chiropractor to arrive at a treatment plan that meets your health needs and fits your budget. If you have both primary and secondary health insurance plans, there is also the possibility of using elements of both coverage types to cover most or all of your treatment costs.
No matter what the case may be, receiving chiropractic care is often the fastest and least expensive way to obtain long-lasting relief for musculoskeletal issues, and for many secondary health issues that are ultimately the result of musculoskeletal dysfunction or distress. If you’ve been dealing with chronic headaches, joint dysfunction, neck pain, shoulder pain, or back pain, we can help. Get in touch with our office now by calling 205-637-1363. to know more about our prices, our treatment plans, and the different insurance types that we currently accept.
